New Testament on Foreign Policy

New Testament

Bibles banned in China from 1949 until 1979

When the People's Republic of China was established in 1949, under the Communist regime, the official government policy was atheism, and worship services and the distribution of Bibles and other holy books were prohibited.

I asked [Deng Xiaoping] if it
might be possible to change these policies, and he asked for specific suggestions. After a few moments' thought, I made 3 requests: guarantee freedom of worship, permit the distribution of Bibles, and reopen the door to missionaries. Before returning to
China, Deng Xiaoping told me that the basic law of China would be changed to provide for religious freedom and that Bibles would be authorized. However, he would not approve the return of Western missionaries because, he said, they had "lived like
royalty" & had tried to subvert the lifestyles of the Chinese people. Within 3 years, he had kept both his promises, with a proviso that any new church congregations would register with the government. They could then conduct services freely, as desired.